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Topic Review (Newest First)

02-12-2014 08:44 AM

Kayos and Havoc

Your thinking is sound. But each line has dogs that have more drive and more need for work and exercise - or less than what we think of as "typical".

You can get a working line dog that has lower drive and is more a laid back couch potato.

You can also get a showline dog that has high drive and intense need for work. I have 2 of them! Havoc and Mayhem are no couch potatoes. At nearly 2 years old now, May is beginning to learn to settle in the house without being run half to death. Thank goodness as the weather here has been awful this year. Havoc has been called a working line dog in showline clothes. Thankfully Kayos is more typical of a showline but she too has wonderful work ethic and focus.

So what is "typical" is not always so.

I think what is important as that you discuss candidly with the breeder what your needs and plans are for the dog. The breeder can better match you with a puppy that will most likely meet those needs.

Personally, I just do not care for the looks of most of the working line dogs as much as the showline dogs. Would I turn down a working line dog if it was the right fit for me? No, I would take it. In fact I was on the wait list for a working line dog but there was no female for me so I opted not to wait and bought a pup from my friend Cynthia at Tidmores Rising Star. Mayhem is everything I wanted so I am happy with how it turned out.

So, do not discount a working line due to fear of too much drive.

And I have seen a lot of Border Collies that are not so intense too. Just need to be careful and honest with the breeder.

I would look at Crooked Creek Ranch and shoot Karen an email or phone call.

02-11-2014 10:37 PM

alexxromeo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kayos and Havoc

They are working lines and he did not want that but certainly worth a look.

Yes I don't really want a working line dog. It is a real reason I chose GSD over Border Collie as I love both breeds. Border Collies need a "job" ALL the time or they can get reckless. I have heard it is the same with many Working Line GSD's.

I am not trying to get out of exercising the dog by getting a Show Line, as I am well aware ALL GSD's need mental stimulation and lots of exercise. But I don't want to have to send my dog on a mission every hour.

Believe me I love the idea of a working line but I am also honest with myself enough to know that a WL GSD will not be as great of a fit for me as a SL.

Thoughts?

02-11-2014 09:43 PM

Kayos and Havoc

Head scratching???? Why did I forget about CCR? Karen has a good reputation and she and I are facebook friends.

They are working lines and he did not want that but certainly worth a look.

02-11-2014 06:09 PM

TakeTheBlack

New Member here myself and from the Des Moines Area as well. Ive been doing a lot of research into GSDs for the last two years. As I plan to become a GSD owner as well. While Ive come to the conclusion that I will be adopting from a local Rescue. During my research. I found quite a few breeders but one stuck out.

One of the most respectable Breeders Ive come across and shes very sought after is Crooked Creek Ranch. They arent cheap but theyre also healthy, well tempered and have the credentials to back it up. You can take a look here

I like that Century Farms is health testing, they are also selling on limited registration which I think is good.

They have one female that has an SG rating. Understand the web site kept locking up so I did not look at every dog.

I have no problem with long coats, some love them and they can now be shown in the SV. I had a long coat rescue and he was fabulous. Great agility dog!

These dogs are a mix of show lines and working lines. Some like this some do not. Many breeders believe that when you mix lines it is like a box of chocolates- you don't know what you are going to get. Some swear by it because it brings in vigor.

Alexander if you just want a companion to hike or jog with and share your life with, these pups may be fine for you. If you want a pup to do protection work with I would keep looking. If you want to do AKC performance sports these pups may be suitable in terms of structure and drive.

I used to think titles were very important. They are very important to assess working and training ability. But I think if there are titled dogs in close previous generations (2 and 3) and this is a companion dog, having the immediate parents titled is not so important.

I think what is most important for a companion dog is stable temperament, biddability, and solid nerve. That said, training, socialization and titling does help a breeder know if the dogs are mentally sound. So there is definite value in that. If there are no titles in any close generations back I would be concerned that the breeders were simply haphazard breeding and I would wonder about the dogs mental soundness. I would want to try to determine that before I bought.

02-11-2014 03:06 PM

LaRen616

I don't really care for Century Farms, I've never dealt with them personally but they don't title their dogs, they breed long coated GSDs and they charge different prices for different colors.

02-11-2014 02:49 PM

alexxromeo

Century Farms

I had looked at your breeder earlier in my searching but I they don't have a litter planned for when I would like to get one! I think I found one that I really like and I am doing the questionnaire and the run down right now!

My boyfriend and I are from the Des Moines area and living in Ames, so hello from Iowa! We ended up driving to Midford Nebraska (1 hour west of Omaha) to get our pup from Vom Engel Shepherds. I would be happy to answer any questions about our breeder and puppy if you want to PM me. If you are close enough you could even meet little Rommel if you like! We are very pleased with our choice.